Cleaning device

ABSTRACT

The present invention is to provide a cleaning device, which includes a housing, a pressing element and a wiping element. The housing has an opening formed at one side thereof and a closed receiving space defined therein at a position corresponding to the opening and filled with cleaning fluid. The pressing element has a first end extending outward of the housing and a second end extending into the receiving space. When the first end of the pressing element is pressed, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space is flow or sprayed out through one side of the receiving space that faces the opening. An accommodating space is defined in the housing between the receiving space and the opening and is configured to accommodate a portion of the wiping element so that the portion of the wiping element can be positioned in the housing and completely cover the opening.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cleaning device, more particularly to a cleaning device configured for protecting an object to be cleaned from damage which may otherwise occur if excessive cleaning fluid is sprayed on the surface of the object and flows into the object through any gap thereof

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To clean an object with a cleaning fluid, it is common practice nowadays to take a bottle of cleaning fluid, spray the cleaning fluid onto the object to be cleaned, and then wipe the surface of the object with a cleaning cloth. This process, however, may cause problems. First of all, the cleaning fluid, once sprayed from the bottle to the surface of the object, is subjected to gravity and tends to flow downward along the surface of the object to the table where the object is placed or to the user's hand holding the object. Should it happen, the user must take extra time and effort to clean off the excess cleaning fluid on the table or the hand, which is rather inconvenient. If the object is an electronic product (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD)), which typically has a gap on its surface (e.g., the gap along the inner periphery of the frame of the LCD), the flowing cleaning fluid is likely to enter the object through the gap and contact with the internal components (e.g., a circuit board) of the object, causing corrosion or short-circuit thereof. In the worst case, the user could damage the object with the cleaning fluid and therefore incur great losses.

As stated above, the conventional cleaning tools (e.g., the aforesaid cleaning fluid bottle and cleaning cloth) and the conventional cleaning method have many drawbacks and may cause failure of or damage to an object to be cleaned if the cleaning fluid is allowed to flow along the surface of the object and ends up entering the object through the surface gap thereof. Hence, it is an important issue in the cleaning device industry to design a novel cleaning tool that effectively overcomes the aforementioned problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the fact that the cleaning fluid in the conventional cleaning tools is directly sprayed on the surface of an object to be cleaned and that, once flowing into the object through any gaps thereof, the cleaning fluid may cause the object to malfunction, the inventor of the present invention conducted extensive research and experiment and finally succeeded in developing a cleaning device for effectively solving the aforesaid problems of the prior art.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a cleaning device configured for protecting an object to be cleaned from damage which may otherwise occur if excessive cleaning fluid is sprayed on the surface of the object and flows into the object through any gap thereof. To achieve the above objective, the cleaning device includes a housing, a pressing element, and a wiping element as described in further detail below. The housing has one side formed with an opening. A closed receiving space is defined in the housing at a position corresponding to the opening and is filled with a cleaning fluid. The pressing element has a first end extending outward of the housing and a second end extending into the receiving space. When the first end of the pressing element is pressed, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space is caused to flow out or is sprayed out through one side of the receiving space that faces the opening. Also defined in the housing is an accommodating space between the receiving space and the opening. The accommodating space is configured to accommodate a portion of the wiping element so that this portion of the wiping element can be positioned in the housing and completely cover the opening after passing through the opening and the accommodating space successively. To perform a cleaning task with the wiping element, it is required to press the pressing element first. As a result, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space is forced to flow to or is sprayed on the aforesaid portion of the wiping element through the side of the receiving space that faces the opening. Afterward, the user only has to take off the wiping element, and the cleaning task can be done with the cleaning fluid on the aforesaid portion of the wiping element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages of the present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cleaning device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a cleaning device according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 a sectional view of a cleaning device according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 a sectional view of a cleaning device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The inventor of the present invention has long been engaged in the research and development of cleaning devices. In the process, the inventor has found that it is common practice to spray a bottled cleaning fluid directly on an object to be cleaned. However, if an excessive amount of cleaning fluid accumulates on a certain surface portion of the object, chances are the accumulated cleaning fluid will flow along the surface of the object, pass through any gap on the surface, and eventually enter the object, causing damage to its internal components (e.g., a circuit board). In consideration of this, the inventor came up with a perfect solution in which improvement is made to the overall structure of the conventional cleaning devices so as to facilitate cleaning.

Referring to FIG, 1, a cleaning device 1 according to the present invention includes a housing 11, a pressing element 13, and a wiping element 15. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the housing 11 has one side formed with an opening 110. A partition 111 in the housing 11 divides the interior of the housing 11 into a closed receiving space 113 and an accommodating space 115, wherein both the receiving space 113 and the accommodating space 115 correspond in position to the opening 110. The side of the partition 111 that faces the opening 110 is provided with a spray hole 117 which brings the receiving space 113 and the accommodating space 115 into communication. The receiving space 113 is filled with a cleaning fluid to be sprayed into the accommodating space 115 through the spray hole 117. The pressing element 13 has one end extending out of the housing 11 and a second end extending into the receiving space 113 and covering the spray hole 117. In the first embodiment, the pressing element 13 includes a shank 130, a stop plate 131, a resilient member 132, and a fluid stopper 135. The shank 130 has a first end extending out of the housing 11 so as to be pressed by the user. The shank 130 also has a second end 130 which passes through the receiving space 113 and the spray hole 117. The stop plate 131 is provided on the shank 130 and located in the receiving space 113. The resilient member 132, which is mounted around the shank 130, has a first end pressing against the stop plate 131 and a second end pressing against the partition 111. The fluid stopper 135 is connected to the second end of the shank 130, situated in the accommodating space 115, and driven by the shank 130—which is biased by the resilient member 132—to tightly close the spray hole 117, thereby preventing the cleaning fluid from flowing out of the receiving space 113. When the first end of the shank 130 (i.e., the first end of the pressing element 13) is pressed, the stop plate 131 overcomes the resilient force of and thereby compresses the resilient member 132. As a result, the second end of the shank 130 (i.e., the second end of the pressing element 13) is moved toward the opening 110, and the fluid stopper 135 is driven away from the spray hole 117, thus allowing the cleaning fluid in the receiving space 113 to flow into or be sprayed into the accommodating space 115 through the spray hole 117. Once the first end of the shank 130 is no longer pressed, the stop plate 131 is pushed by the restoring force of the resilient member 132 and in turn drives the first end of the shank 130 back to its original position. Consequently, the fluid stopper 135 at the second end of the shank 130 recloses the spray hole 117.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wiping element 15 includes a base 151 and a resilient wiper 153. The resilient wiper 153 is connected to one side of the base 151 and is configured to be accommodated in the accommodating space 115. More specifically, the resilient wiper 153 of the wiping element 15 can pass sequentially through the opening 110 and the accommodating space 115 and be positioned in the housing 11, thereby covering the opening 110 of the housing 11 completely. Before the wiping element 15 is used in a cleaning task, the first end of the pressing element 13 must be pressed so that the cleaning fluid in the receiving space 113 flows to or is sprayed on the resilient wiper 153 through the spray hole 117. As the resilient wiper 153 at this time is still accommodated in the accommodating space 115 and covers the opening 110 of the housing 11 completely, the cleaning fluid which has flown or been sprayed out of the receiving space 113 (in a nebulized form) can only disperse in the accommodating space 115 and attach to the resilient wiper 153. Then, the user only has to grip the base 151 and remove the wiping element 15 from the housing 11, and the resilient wiper 153 attached with the cleaning fluid can be directly used to wipe clean the surface of an object. The cleaning fluid on the resilient wiper 153 can fully wet and soften the grime on the surface of the object, allowing the user to wipe off the fully softened grime with the wiping element 15. The resilient wiper 153 also sucks up the remaining cleaning fluid on the surface of the object, so the internal components of the object are protected from corrosion or short-circuit which may otherwise occur if excessive residual cleaning fluid on the surface of the object flows into the object through any surface gap thereof and contacts with the internal components.

To facilitate replacement of the cleaning fluid and strengthen the connection between the housing and the wiping element, the cleaning device in the first embodiment described above is partially modified to produce the second embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2. The cleaning device 2 in FIG. 2 includes a housing 21, a cleaning fluid bottle 22, and a wiping element 25. The housing 21 has one side formed with an opening 210, and the inner wall of the housing 21 is provided with a first connecting portion 212 adjacent to the opening 210. The cleaning fluid bottle 22 is received in the housing 21 at a position corresponding to the opening 210 and is composed of a bottle body 221, a bottle head 223, and a pressing element 23 to be pressed. The bottle body 221 defines therein a closed receiving space 225, which is filled with a cleaning fluid. The bottle head 223 is connected to the bottle body 221 and is provided with a spray hole 227 and the pressing element 23, wherein the spray hole 227 is directed toward the opening 210 of the housing 21. The pressing element 23 extends to the housing 21 in such a way that a surface of the pressing element 23 is flush with a surface of the housing 21; thus, when the pressing element 23 is depressed, the cleaning fluid in the bottle body 221 flows out or is sprayed out through the spray hole 227. In a different embodiment of the present invention, however, the aforesaid surface of the pressing element 23 may extend outward of the aforesaid surface of the housing 21; in other words, the pressing element 23 may extend out of the housing 21 to suit practical needs. In addition, the housing 21 is provided therein with an accommodating space 213 between the cleaning fluid bottle 22 and the opening 210. The wiping element 25 includes a base 251 and a resilient wiper 253. The base 251 is formed with a second connecting portion 255 which is connectable with the first connecting portion 212. When the wiping element 25 is fitted into the housing 21, the resilient wiper 253, which is connected to one side of the base 251, passes sequentially through the opening 210 and the accommodating space 213 until it is positioned in the housing 21 and covers the opening 210 of the housing 21 completely. At the same time, the second connecting portion 255 is engaged with the first connecting portion 212 such that the wiping element 25 is securely positioned with respect to the housing 21. When it is desired to perform a cleaning task with the cleaning device 2, the user must press the pressing element 23 first, thereby spraying the cleaning fluid from within the cleaning fluid bottle 22 through the spray hole 227 onto the resilient wiper 253, which completely covers the opening 210 of the housing 21. Then, the wiping element 25 is removed from the housing 21 and ready for the cleaning task. With the resilient wiper 253 adsorbing the cleaning fluid, the object to be cleaned is protected from damage which may otherwise result from excessive cleaning fluid flowing all over the surface of the object, and the user is also spared the trouble of having to clean up the excessive cleaning fluid. When the cleaning fluid in the cleaning fluid bottle 22 is used up, the cleaning fluid bottle 22 can be replaced or refilled with cleaning fluid to enable repeated use of the cleaning device 2. Thus, the service life of the cleaning device 2 is substantially extended.

In the third embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device 3 includes a housing 31, a pressing element 33, and a wiping element 35. The housing 31 has one side formed with an opening 310. A partition 311 in the housing 31 divides the interior of the housing 31 into a closed receiving space 313 and an accommodating space 315, wherein the receiving space 313 is filled with a cleaning fluid. The housing 31 also has an engaging portion 314 formed adjacent to the top end of the receiving space 313. The pressing element 33, which is connected to the housing 31 via the engaging portion 314, has a first end extending out of the housing 31 and a second end extending into the receiving space 313. In addition, the pressing element 33 has a spray hole 331 adjacent to the first end of the pressing element 33, and the housing 31 has an aperture 312 corresponding in position to the spray hole 331 and communicating with the accommodating space 315. Thus, when the first end of the pressing element 33 is pressed, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space 313 flows toward or is sprayed toward the accommodating space 315 via the spray hole 331 and the aperture 312. The housing 31 further has a first connecting portion 316 (e.g., a projection) at a position adjacent to the accommodating space 315 and the opening 310. The wiping element 35 is composed of a base 351 and a resilient wiper 353, wherein the base 351 is provided with a second connecting portion 355 corresponding in position to the first connecting portion 316. When the base 351 is fitted into the housing 31, the second connecting portion 355 is engaged with the first connecting portion 316. At the same time, the resilient wiper 353 passes through the opening 310 and the accommodating space 315 and is eventually positioned in the housing 31, thereby covering the opening 310 of the housing 31 completely. Further, refill of the cleaning fluid can be easily done after the pressing element 33 is removed, and by pressing the pressing element 33, the refilled cleaning fluid in the receiving space 313 is sprayed onto the resilient wiper 353 through the opening 310 so that the resilient wiper 353 can be directly used to clean the surface of an object.

FIG. 4 shows the fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the cleaning device 4 includes a housing 41, a cleaning fluid bottle 42, and a wiping element 45. The housing 41 has one side formed with an opening 410. Inside the housing 410 is an accommodating space 412 adjacent to the opening 410. The cleaning fluid bottle 42 is received in the housing 41 and is composed of a bottle body 421, a bottle head 423, and a pressing element 43 configured for being pressed. The bottle body 421 is provided therein with a closed receiving space 425, which is filled with a cleaning fluid and corresponds in position to the opening 410. The bottle head 423 is connected to the bottle body 421 and is provided with a spray hole 427 and the pressing element 43. The housing 41 also has an aperture 414 corresponding in position to the spray hole 427 and communicating with the accommodating space 412. Hence, when the pressing element 43 is pressed at the outer end, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space 425 flows toward or is sprayed toward the accommodating space 412 by way of the spray hole 427 and the aperture 414. The wiping element 45 is composed of a base 451 and a resilient wiper 453. The base 451 can be connected to the housing 41 so that, after passing through the opening 410 and the accommodating space 412, the resilient wiper 453 is positioned in the housing 41 and covers the opening 410 of the housing 41 in its entirety. As such, the cleaning fluid bottle 42 can be directly taken out for replacement, and by pressing the pressing element 43, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space 425 of the new cleaning fluid bottle 42 is sprayed via the opening 410 onto the resilient wiper 453, which, once removed from the housing 41, can be directly used to clean the surface of an object.

It should be pointed out that, while the pressing elements and the wiping elements in the foregoing embodiments are depicted in detail in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are intended only to enable the general public to comprehend the technical features of the present invention rapidly. In other words, the configurations of the pressing elements and the wiping elements are not limited to those disclosed herein. A person who is skilled in the art and has fully understood the technical features of the present invention may alter the shapes of the pressing elements or the wiping elements as appropriate. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not restricted to the above description, and all equivalent changes which are easily conceivable by a person skilled in the art and which are based on the disclosed technical features should fall within the scope of the present invention, which is defined only by the appended claims. 

1. A cleaning device, comprising: a housing having a side formed with an opening, the housing being provided therein with a closed receiving space corresponding in position to the opening, wherein the receiving space is filled with a cleaning fluid, the housing being further provided therein with an accommodating space between the receiving space and the opening; a pressing element having a first end extending to the housing and a second end extending into the receiving space, wherein when the first end is pressed, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space flows out or is sprayed out through a side of the receiving space that faces the opening; and a wiping element, wherein a portion of the wiping element is configured for passing sequentially through the opening and the accommodating space so as to be positioned in the housing, thereby covering the opening of the housing completely.
 2. The cleaning device of claim I, wherein the housing is further provided therein with a cleaning fluid bottle comprising: a bottle body provided therein with the receiving space; and a bottle head connected to the bottle body and provided with the pressing element and a spray hole, wherein the spray hole is directed toward the opening of the housing so as for the cleaning fluid in the receiving space to flow out or be sprayed out through the spray hole.
 3. The cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the pressing element has a surface flush with a surface of the housing.
 4. The cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the pressing element has a surface extending out of a surface of the housing.
 5. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the housing is further provided therein with a partition between the receiving space and the accommodating space, the partition being formed with a spray hole communicating the receiving space with the accommodating space, and wherein the second end of the pressing element passes through the partition, covers the spray hole, and once the first end of the pressing element is pressed, stops covering the spray hole, thereby allowing the cleaning fluid in the receiving space to flow out or be sprayed out through the spray hole.
 6. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the housing is further provided therein with a partition between the receiving space and the accommodating space, the partition being formed with an aperture, and wherein the first end of the pressing element has a spray hole corresponding in position to the aperture such that, when the first end of the pressing element is pressed, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space flows into or is sprayed into the accommodating space through the spray hole and the aperture.
 7. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed with an aperture in communication with the accommodating space, and the housing is further provided therein with a cleaning fluid bottle comprising: a bottle body provided therein with the receiving space; and a bottle head connected to the bottle body and provided with the pressing element and a spray hole corresponding in position to the aperture, wherein when the first end of the pressing element is pressed, the cleaning fluid in the receiving space flows into or is sprayed into the accommodating space through the spray hole and the aperture.
 8. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the wiping element comprises: a base; and a resilient wiper connected to a side of the base and receivable in the accommodating space through the opening.
 9. The cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the wiping element comprises: a base; and a resilient wiper connected to a side of the base and receivable in the accommodating space through the opening.
 10. The cleaning device of claim 5, wherein the wiping element comprises: a base; and a resilient wiper connected to a side of the base and receivable in the accommodating space through the opening,
 11. The cleaning device of claim 6, wherein the wiping element comprises: a base; and a resilient wiper connected to a side of the base and receivable in the accommodating space through the opening.
 12. The cleaning device of claim 7, wherein the wiping element comprises: a base; and a resilient wiper connected to a side of the base and receivable in the accommodating space through the opening.
 13. The cleaning device of claim 8, wherein the housing is provided therein with a first connecting portion adjacent to the opening, and the base is provided with a second connecting portion connectable with the first connecting portion.
 14. The cleaning device of claim 9, wherein the housing is provided therein with a first connecting portion adjacent to the opening, and the base is provided with a second connecting portion connectable with the first connecting portion.
 15. The cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the housing is provided therein with a first connecting portion adjacent to the opening, and the base is provided with a second connecting portion connectable with the first connecting portion.
 16. The cleaning device of claim 11, wherein the housing is provided therein with a first connecting portion adjacent to the opening, and the base is provided with a second connecting portion connectable with the first connecting portion.
 17. The cleaning device of claim 12, wherein the housing is provided therein with a first connecting portion adjacent to the opening, and the base is provided with a second connecting portion connectable with the first connecting portion.
 18. The cleaning device of claim 5, wherein the pressing element comprises: a shank having a first end extending out of the housing and a second end passing through the receiving space and the spray hole; a stop plate provided on the shank and located in the receiving space; a resilient member mounted around the shank, wherein the resilient member has an end pressing against the stop plate and an opposite end pressing against the partition; and a fluid stopper connected to the second end of the shank, located in the accommodating space, and movable with the shank so as to cover or not to cover the spray hole. 